Creating News Has its Difficulties

Write, edit, distribute, promote Writing a news release takes days if you’re unclear about the focus of your own promotion. News development is often hampered for other reasons. Every small and solo business owner fights with this problem at some point.

We want every word to be correct the first time it’s committed to paper. That means there will be less editing when the first draft is done. But if the release takes forever to write, editing isn’t needed because there’s nothing to review.

There’s something about your company to share with the world. A press release spreads that good word. You might write somethingtoday for distribution next week, or you might wait until May to boost that month’s publicity and sales.

Best of all, writing and distributing a news release costs very little, and it has the potential to generate lots of attention and revenue.

Here’s a two-page report with more insight on how to put your business name in the spotlight. I’ll be working on my own release to distribute next week. Will you join me?

Technorati Tags: news release, solo business owner, press release, news distribution, small business owner, small business marketing

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April 28, 2006 | Filed Under Marketing News, Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries | 4 Comments

Renewing Ties with Postcards

Daisy protects my postcards and me Do you see that brown box on the floor, in back of and to the right of Daisy, one of my office’s mascots?

That box contains postcards that I partially used for a marketing campaign last year. The company that created the postcards has a minimum 2,500 run.

I didn’t need that many postcards, but I decided the purchase would still be worth the campaign cost.

I was right. My project, which focused on attracting wholesalers, netted me several thousands in profits.

The remaining postcards stayed on my mind for the next six months. I purposely left the box on the floor so that I’d remember their existence.

Earlier this month, I created a new project focused on the same wholesalers and knew that the postcards would be perfect to make contact. But my message was slightly different than the first. How would I make changes without making the postcard look messy?

I did what any smart marketer would do. I crossed out two words on the postcard and replaced them with updated text. That’s something you shouldn’t do on a business card, but this type of update on a postcard forces the target to take a second look at the message.

So far, the results have been good. Sales have more than covered the price of the campaign, but I’ll follow up the mailing with telephone calls to the best prospects.

An article on the Solo Business Marketing site contains ideas for selling to past clients that are similar to what I’ve explained. I hope you’ll be able to make connections that renew good relationships.

Technorati Tags: marketing campaign, wholesalers, postcards, Solo Business Marketing, small business marketing

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April 27, 2006 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries | 2 Comments

Untangling My Technology Toys

I am finally detangled One month ago I became irate about the tangled mess I’d become. It took me 10 or more minutes to find a pair of headphones or a laptop cord. What a terrible waste of time. And what’s worse is that I talk about being efficient, but then I break the rules.

It was finally time to practice what I preach and decide how to organize the cords I either couldn’t find or had joined together in a snake-like fashion.

On a Sunday morning, between my regular trek to a supermarket and wholesale club, I stopped at a popular home products store to search for what I call a “technology bar.” I couldn’t walk into the store announcing these words, so I started my search in the curtain rod area.

I found a rod that was perfect, but it was made for newer homes. Its magnetic ends allow the rod to stay in place without the use of tools and screws. Very nice but not right for my 1929-built office.

A store employee led me to the hardware I needed, and here is a photo of my newly-installed technology bar, skillfully attached by me to the sugar-donut colored wall. Now I can see all of my toys at a glance, and best of all, when I need my headphones, flash drive, or computer light, I know where to find them.

Now for the next task: detangling the floor cords. That will take an act of Congress to fix, or a stay in the hospital after a major fall, whichever comes first.

I can’t be the only one going through these office problems. Have you untangled your technology tools, or are you still deciding which way to turn?

Technorati Tags: technology tools, organization, home office

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April 25, 2006 | Filed Under Recent Entries, Solo Housekeeping, Technology | 2 Comments

Setting Prices Takes Yards of Research

Research before you sell The days of setting grandma’s treasures on a card table, hoping to unload them for a nominal fee, are over.

Marketing warriors visit multiple yard sales each week, looking for castoffs to resell on Ebay. They’re armed with cell phones, making calls to the home base to uncover the best resale prices on the spot.

The lesson? Today’s sellers must be as skilled at pricing as the buyers who scan their merchandise.

Last weekend ’s edition of The Wall Street Journal took you up close and personal into the world of high-tech yard sales in this once low-sales category.

While the article explored how people troll for treasures, it also shared a lesson for small and solo business owners in any industry: perform your research before setting prices.

There’s a fine line between smart pricing and giving away the store. That line determines whether you profit or go out of business.

You may not be a yard sale expert, but what you sell is a valuable commodity. Sell high, and make grandma proud.

Technorati Tags: solo business owner, small business marketing, small business owner

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April 24, 2006 | Filed Under Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries, Solo Housekeeping | 2 Comments